Nuclear Regulatory Commission May 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and License Amendment No. 6 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee); for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia. The amendment changes requested improve the clarity and accuracy of the Tier 1 information located in Table 3.3-1, ``Definition of Wall Thicknesses for Nuclear Island Buildings, Turbine Buildings, and Annex Building,'' which describes wall and floor thicknesses in the plant. The granting of the exemption allows the changes asked for in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is issuing its Final Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DC/COL-ISG-024. The purpose of this ISG is to provide the staff guidance regarding the application of Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.221, ``Design-Basis Hurricane and Hurricane Missiles for Nuclear Power Plants,'' in support of NRC reviews of early site permit (ESP), standard design certification (DC), and combined license (COL) applications being performed under the March 2007 version of NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition.'' This ISG applies to reviews of ESP, DC and COL applications where the resolution of the applicant's conformance with RG 1.221 has not already been achieved as of the effective date of this guidance.

By letter dated April 2, 2013, the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) submitted its Application for Renewal of its Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP). The existing CoC (No. GDP-1) authorizes operation of a uranium enrichment facility in Paducah, Kentucky. The Certificate currently has an expiration date of December 31, 2013. The USEC requests that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) renew the Certificate for a 5- year period, with an expiration date of December 31, 2018.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (the licensee) to withdraw its application dated December 29, 2009, as supplemented by letter dated November 22, 2011 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML100040087 and ML113270063, respectively), for a proposed amendment to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-80 and DPR-82 for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2, located in San Luis Obispo County, California.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment Draft Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2013-XX, ``Embedded Digital Devices in Safety-Related Systems, Systems Important to Safety, and Items Relied on For Safety.'' The NRC staff has developed the draft RIS to clarify the NRC's technical position on existing regulatory requirements for the quality and reliability of basic components with embedded digital devices.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an endorsement letter of Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report, ``Seismic Evaluation Guidance: EPRI Guidance for the Resolution of Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.1: Seismic,'' Draft Report, hereafter referred to as the EPRI Guidance.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 2 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.57, ``Design Limits and Loading Combinations for Metal Primary Reactor Containment System Components,'' in which there are no substantive changes to the RG. The revision includes correction of a subsection title and editorial changes to improve clarity. This guide describes a method that the NRC staff considers acceptable for design limits and loading combinations for metal primary reactor containment system components.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), is proposing to amend its regulations for the packaging and transportation of radioactive material. These amendments would make NRC regulations conform to revisions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations for the international transportation of radioactive material and maintain consistency with DOT regulations. These changes are necessary to maintain a consistent regulatory framework for the transportation and packaging of radioactive material. These changes would make the regulation of quality assurance programs more efficient by allowing changes that do not change quality assurance approval holder commitments to be made without prior NRC approval, and extending the duration of quality assurance program approvals. These changes would clarify the responsibilities of general licensees and further limit the shipping of fissile material under a general license. The parallel DOT proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on August 12, 2011.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is advertising for nominations for the position of Agreement State representative on the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment about our intention to request the OMB's approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: 10 CFR Part 50, ``Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.'' 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0011. 3. How often the collection is required: As necessary in order for NRC to meet its responsibilities to conduct a detailed review of applications for licenses and amendments thereto to construct and operate nuclear power plants, preliminary or final design approvals, design certifications, research and test facilities, reprocessing plants and other utilization and production facilities, licensed pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act) and to monitor their activities. Reports are submitted daily, monthly, quarterly, annually, semi-annually, and on occasion. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Licensees and applicants for nuclear power plants and research and test facilities, and approximately 100 materials licensees responding to generic communications. 5. The number of annual respondents: 251. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 4.88M hours; 1.93M hours reporting (an average of 41.8 hrs/ response) + 2.95M hours recordkeeping (an average of 19.5K hrs/ recordkeeper). 7. Abstract: Part 50 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,'' specifies technical information and data to be provided to the NRC or maintained by applicants and licensees so that the NRC may take determinations necessary to protect the health and safety of the public, in accordance with the Act. The reporting and recordkeeping requirements contained in 10 CFR part 50 are mandatory for the affected licensees and applicants. Submit, by July 15, 2013, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? The public may examine and have copied for a fee publicly available documents, including the draft supporting statement, at the NRC's Public Document Room, Room O-1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC' Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC's home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be made available for public inspection. Because your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information, the NRC cautions you against including any information in your submission that you do not want to be publicly disclosed. Comments submitted should reference Docket No. NRC- 2013-0085. You may submit your comments by any of the following methods: Electronic comments: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. NRC-2013-0085. Mail comments to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6258, or by email to INFOCOLLECTS.Resource@NRC.GOV.